Chapter 18 - Journey
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Although Guo Meifeng witnessed the interaction between Gu Xuan and Han Qiao, he still couldn’t get over what he heard from Han Qiao’s mouth.
‘3-3rd Layer?’ Guo Meifeng’s mind that was already disheveled from knowing that Gu Xuan was the sect leader’s disciple became far more disordered from knowing that Gu Xuan, who was only 15 years old this year was already at the 3rd Layer of Qi Gathering Realm.
Seeing Guo Meifeng’s dumbfounded expression, Gu Xuan sighed, ‘This is why I don’t like it when people know something extraordinary about me. I’m not even that extraordinary to receive such reactions.’
Gu Xuan, knowing the vastness of cultivation worlds, couldn't really have the face to say that he was a genius. There were beings that were born 9 realms or more higher than him. That was a genius, Gu Xuan merely worked harder than most people in the sect.
Who in the entire sect has cultivated as much as him? Maybe even those in their 40s and above in the lower district haven't cultivated as much as him.
From the moment he was born, he steeled himself to reach a realm where he could live for eternity when he knew that he was reincarnated into a cultivation world.
Him being an orphan might not bring much benefits but it gave him time to grow and cultivate in peace.
Guo Meifeng, after getting ahold of herself, looked at Gu Xuan awkwardly, not knowing how to treat him now that she knew that he was the sect leader’s disciple. He even possessed cultivation on par with the elders.
Gu Xuan then waved his hand, “Senior sister, you can just treat me as before, like a junior brother. Me, being Master Han’s disciple doesn’t change the fact that I climbed the mountain later than you.”
Upon hearing his words, she heaved a sigh of relief, as well as satisfaction from Gu Xuan’s humble personality that hasn’t changed even if his status changed.
Since she already received the green light, she pouted, “Junior brother really deceived me, not only me, you deceived everyone.”
Gu Xuan chuckled awkwardly then argued, “Senior sister, do you remember your question when I first climbed the mountain?”
“Of course, I asked you for your name, age, and cultivation. You deceived me by saying that you just broke through.”
“Senior sister, you asked me if I just broke through, not whether I broke through to the 1st Layer. I just broke through that day to the 3rd Layer so I wasn’t lying.”
Hearing his reasoning, Guo Meifeng was exasperated, “Isn’t that the same thing? You’re still lying.”
“Senior sister, it’s not the same, it’s not that I told lies, I simply let you have your own thoughts without confirming them accurately. If senior sister was a merchant in the mortal world, you’d happily sign a contract without reading it relying solely on verbal discussions, not knowing that the conditions are disadvantageous to you. It seems that senior sister isn’t fit to be a merchant.” Gu Xuan teased.
Guo Meifeng snorted in reply, “If that’s the case, you’d be an unscrupulous merchant.”
“Although I took advantage, I didn’t lie nor deceive. So I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Guo Meifeng sighed seeing Gu Xuan in a new light. In her first impression, he was innocent yet naive but she didn’t expect that he was actually quite a manipulator.
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Gu Xuan then changed the conversation whilst pointing to the mission he plans to take, “Then, I’ll take this mission, senior sister. Can you process it for me?”
Guo Meifeng, remembering her position, stood straight and replied as she usually would as a receptionist of the Mission Hall, “Of course, I’ll note that it’ll be your task for a year. There’s not many disciples who can take this kind of mission, so even if you don’t have it recorded, it wouldn’t be taken by others in a while or not at all.”
“Um, I’d also like details of the mission, although the mission task and rewards are stated, the information about Shadow Wolves Bandits aren’t here. What to do to prove the mission has been completed isn’t here as well.”
“Of course, follow me.”
Gu Xuan followed Guo Meifeng towards her desk, and after she rummaged through her desk for a while, she finally found a paper which she then read.
“Found it. The Shadow Wolves Bandit. A local overlord in the Red Cloud Mountain. Because of the leader’s high cultivation, even city lords are wary to make movements, if they go to war, it’ll likely lead to a major loss of their army. If that was the only case, sects would usually leave it alone but the Shadow Wolves Bandits have gone too far.”
“Gone too far?”
“Yes, if they just took the Red Cloud Mountain as their territory and collect payments from merchants as they travel through their territory, sects wouldn’t usually get involved and leave them for the nearby cities to deal with as they please or if they eventually turn into a city on par with the others, however, the Shadow Wolves Bandits have recently started plundering and taking slaves, especially females.”
Hearing Guo Meifeng reading the papers, Gu Xuan couldn’t help but frown and think, ‘As expected, the ancient world is really cruel. I’ve just not been exposed much since I haven’t gone out of the sect all my life. But still, sects only get involved when there’s a cultivator going astray? No wonder they are hidden sects. However, how does such news get reported to the sect? Is there a branch outside? There’s probably one.’
“Although it’s cruel, the sect usually leaves these kinds of things to disciples to train their martial arts as well as to experience real combat. If the task is not completed within 3 years, one of the elders will personally make their move and lead some disciples. Junior brother is just on time, this is the last year of the 3 years period. Junior brother probably hasn’t been exposed to such a thing before because you stayed in the sect most of the time but the world is cruel, we can only adapt to it. We can’t stop all evil but if we have more disciples who become skilled, the more manpower we have on the side of justice, meaning, the more evil we can stop in the long term.”
“Yes, senior sister. Although I’m inexperienced doesn’t mean I’m naive.”
Guo Meifeng smiled and nodded, “The Shadow Wolves Bandits is basically a city government as I’ve said but just far more unorganized. They have 1 leader that makes decisions and 4 vice-leaders that rule the 4 directions respectively. The leader, as stated, has the cultivation of 2nd layer and a martial arts attainment of a grandmaster. The 4 vice-leaders on the other hand have the cultivation of a 1st layer and martial arts attainment of a master. As for the proof for the mission, junior brother simply has to collect their tokens and give it to the Moonlight Sect’s branch in Blue Cloud City.”
After getting the details, Gu Xuan smiled and said, “Thank you for telling me so much, senior sister.”
“No problem, after all, this is my job.”
“I’d also like to get new robes, as you can see, my robes are torn from all the training I did in the forest. It’s also a little tight-fitting so I’d like a larger one. Make the robes more common-looking too so I wouldn’t stand out in the outside world.”
Guo Meifeng laughed sheepishly for a moment but replied, “Of course.”
Guo Meifeng left the paper she read from on the desk and went to get Gu Xuan’s new robes, meanwhile Gu Xuan waited patiently.
After a while, Guo Meifeng arrived with a new set of robes which he wore, and after fitting, it fit him quite well so he nodded in satisfaction.
The new set of robes he was given was black in color.
The inner garment was a tight-fitting black long sleeve, and the pants were gray in color, and the boots were also black.
The outer robes were also colored gray, just like his pants.
It was slightly eye-catching from the aesthetic design but that’s about it, one would just think that it was a well-dressed young master going out on a walk.
Guo Meifeng’s eyes, seeing Gu Xuan’s current appearance, glowed as she praised, “Junior brother looks really handsome.”
Gu Xuan, remembering his appearance from the reflection of the lake, chuckled, “Don’t tease me, senior sister. I’m at most, slightly above average.”
Guo Meifeng also chuckled and said, “That might be the case at first glance, but the more one knows junior brother, the more handsome he gets.”
“Hm… You might make my head big but I’ll accept the compliment thankfully, senior sister.”
“You're welcome.”
Gu Xuan then cupped his fist, “Then, I’ll go first, senior sister.”
“Be careful on your travels, junior brother.”
“Yes, senior sister.” Gu Xuan waved his hand in goodbye but as he walked the first step towards the Mission Hall’s door, he froze.
With Gu Xuan stopping suddenly, Guo Meifeng asked in confusion, “What’s wrong, junior brother?”
With an awkward laugh, Gu Xuan turned to Guo Meifeng and said, “I forgot to ask but where’s Red Cloud Mountain and Blue Cloud City?”
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